I recently purchased a RimFire from Hobbico/Tower Hobbies I ordered it from my LHS. I installed it in a MiniPulse XT. Test run of about 10 minutes prior to first flight.

Lasted 4 minutes in the air yesterday. Lucky for me I had a great pilot on the sticks (not me) for the maiden flight. He got the plane back dead-stick unscathed. When he landed all of us were floored that the motor was done. The pilot told me he never past 3/4 throttle!

Called Tower Hobbies Tech support at 10:30 am this morning. And got what could best be described as the "run around". The tech basically said without the receipt handy he was not going to help me at all. He then went on it intimate it was all my fault. Wrong ESC, wrong prop, wrong battery. I assure all of you it is the correct ESC / prop / battery combo. I am currently looking for the receipt. And now the dance begins.

I am telling you this story not because I am a bit upset about the treatment by Tower BUT to illustrate how really good the guys at HH are when it comes to taking care of issues. I have had two Micro P51 motors go in the last year. The first one was replaced without hesitation, over the phone, no receipt asked for, AND that was not even what I was looking for! My question was is it the motor, not can you please send me a new one.

BUT to illustrate how really good the guys at HH are when it comes to taking care of issues. I have had two Micro P51 motors go in the last year. The first one was replaced without hesitation, over the phone, no receipt asked for, AND that was not even what I was looking for! My question was is it the motor, not can you please send me a new one.

Same bird, same question, same results....actually HH had problems with the first UM Mustang motors, mine was newer but they sent a replacement......

My experience with Tower has been so so......I called to find out if they had paint codes and paint for the GP L-39....told me to call GP......they didn't have a clue....annoyed but it was cosmetic, not power system

I would return it to LHS, they seem to have more leverage if they are willing to get involved.

My experience with Tower has been so so......I called to find out if they had paint codes and paint for the GP L-39....told me to call GP......they didn't have a clue....annoyed but it was cosmetic, not power system

Ron

Hey Ron,

You seem to have gotten the Tower Two Step! It's been problematic of their CSR for many years now. I especially LOVE the fact that they don't even provide a toll free number for tech support. Nothing like paying good money to wait on hold and get wrong information.

I really don't want to turn this to a TowerBash, but MAYBE the Powers That Be will take notice and fix this and maybe just maybe fix the website as well.

There's really not enough information posted above to determine what the difficulty was. However, we'll be glad to work with you. Just a few points, though....

1) If you purchased an item from hobby retailer, they should easily be able to give you a copy of a sales receipt. In most cases, a copy of the purchase reciept is required to validate any warranty claims.

2) If you will send your motor to us, we'll be glad to see how we can help you. If it was purchased within the warranty period, there should be no difficulties working with you. Just give us the dealer you purchased from and the purchase date. We can work something out.

3) Why would your hobby retailer talk to Tower Hobbies? A retailer would normally not make purchases from Tower. Do you mean Great Planes, who is the distributor?

Please ship your item to:

Hobby Services
3002 N. Apollo Dr. Suite 1
Champaign, IL 61822
USA

Package your item(s) carefully against shipping hazards. Please make sure it's insured against loss or damage in shipping. Include a letter with your name, return shipping address, daytime telephone #, Fax, Email (as much contact information as possible), and a detailed description of the problems you are having with your equipment.

We can't say enough about having a detailed letter that describes your difficulties. Without specifics, we cannot really tell what's wrong.

I have been dealing with TH recently, no problems. I received a P-40 Warhawk ARF with damaged wings, emailed them about it and they told me they will send me a new pair of wings with return postage label for UPS for the damaged wings; for me that's good/great service.

This afternoon LHS got on the phone with TH and told them about my problem....guess what? The motor has been discontinued!

I am still looking for the receipt. I found it odd even the LHS got the "Dance" from TH CSR. And so the sage continues.

Don

Now you now why a lot of LHS will not deal with Hobbico / Great Planes Dist. etc.

Got along fine for 20 plus years without them.

Have done several million in business with HHD without major cock ups. Had a few with HHD but a in person visit has solved them all.

Had a customer with an JR9303 / AR500 intermittent loss of neutral on ail & elev. Big plane, he really should of had a better receiver. Doing several mixes in the TX. I called yesterday about problem, neither of us could figure out the problem. HHD said pull a 7000 receiver from our stock and swap with the customer. They sent me a new 7000 to replace my stock today. Customer dropped off his AR500 and took the new 7000 home with him.

As you can see from the above post TH is trying to help and I appreciate this very much.

No USPS or UPS on Monday, so I will send it back on Tuesday.

I will be interested to see how they handle this due to the fact that LHS was told this motor has been discontinued.

I went with this motor / ESC combo because it was recommended to me by and old friend and a very long time LHS, 15 plus years (not in the same place I live now) employee. I fully understand why he suggested it and hold no ill will towards him. But I do believe when I tell him what happened he might just owe me a frosty cold imported adult beverage next time I am in his hometown.

I am also not feeling very confident with the ESC a Great Planes Silver Series.

I will keep you all posted as things progress.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT UPSET WITH TH PER SE, BUT A BIT MORE THAT TICKED AT THE CSR DEPARTMENTS ATTITUDE.

TH CSR have repeatedly given me incorrect part numbers or non answers to my inquires. I remember a time when TH was the LEADER of the pack, but trust me when I tell you that for me to go this far on a message board I am at the end of my rope and that knot is not that big.

Received a brand new RimFire .10 today via UPS today. This is a replacement for my original.

Total time to have my problem resolved: 19 days.

Happy? Yes and no. Yes I am happy that the problem was resolved. I still think TH could do a better job of Customer Service. I did receive a post card informing me that my motor had been received. I did find it odd they sent a post card instead of email, and yes I did provide my email address. I know I sound a bit nit-picky, but it just struck me as odd to mail a post card PLUS incur the added cost of postage.

In hind sight I wish I had handled this whole situation differently. I made a mistake by loosing the sales receipt. LHS moved a mountain to provide me with a replacement. Trust me when I tell you he had to go through several hundred transactions to find the original. I also wish TH would have had a bit more understanding attitude on the phone. It's one thing to be firm but quite another to be firm and uncooperative. It really was the CSR attitude that set me off not the policy. Policy is policy, but a kind word or even the implied notion of sympathy goes a long long way to sooth ruffled feathers.

I know this tread may be old and dead but I wanted to put my 2 cents in. I'v had a few problems with items I got from TH but they were always quick to respond. I ordered a 2nd reciever for my Tower Hobbies FM radio and didn't try it out right away. I got to it about a month later and it didn't work. I called them up and they sent me another reciever right away. recieved it in 2 days (usually takes 1 day shipping to where I am) and they didn't even want the old one back. Had another problem with a fuse side that was warped in a kit I bought. I called the next morning and they sent me replacements the next day. I have never had a problem with customer service from Tower Hobbies and I hope I never do.

I used to get awesome service from TH. Been ordering for 20+ years. Used to was the key word.

I was always treated with kindness, respect and concern for the small amount of issues that would occur. For the longest time they had zero errors and I even called in my orders instead of using the website because they were so nice to talk to.

It changed all of a sudden one year. Like night and day.

After I got burned by more than one scratch and dent item that was grossly misrepresented (some weren't even the items they claimed they were) on the website, and told to pretty much to go spin on my thumb by the phone CSRs when I called about it, I stopped ordering.

I understand sold as-is, but when you give a hugely incorrect description (such as they say "works fine, minor covering damage", and you get a box of smashed parts with many others missing, no way this thing worked earlier), that's not as-is, that's false advertising. I'm willing to fix scratch and dent items, that's the point. But to blatantly tell me items are ok with minor damage but still working and I get an item that isn't even the same item or a box of balsa scraps more than once, then you tell me I have to pay to have it all sorted out, no way, I object.

I was even a member of that "Gold" club or whatever they called it that they gave large discounts to select buyers (not the Super Saver thing, though I joined that too), for when you spend thousands each year.

Since getting burned, I have only dropped a few bucks on them here and there when they had something I couldn't get elsewhere.

Other than that, my hobby dollars have been feeding distributors other than Tower / Great Planes / Hobbico. In fact, I go out of my way not to give them my money when I can.

Kinda sad, like losing a good friend is how I felt, and still feel about it.

I was a TH customer since 1976. Now granted this was an on and off again relationship but still it goes back a long way. I also remember the days when the person answering the phone was courteous, and helpful. I fear those days are gone, or they all left and went to work for (HH).

Like you, I am no longer a TH fan or customer unless I am forced to. Since HH has come along with their stellar CSR why should I spend my hard earned hobby dollars at a less than competitive mail order company.

The 19 days it took them to replace an obviously defective motor, still under warranty, sealed their fate. I could have dealt with having to return it at my cost had the CSR at least been willing to be courteous.

At best you would think they would reinvest a few dollars and upgrade their website. I hate to say this but it looks like something out of the late 80's.

As I stated before I don't want to TowerBash, actually I wish they would get their act together and return to their former glory. I really hate to see an American institution flounder and fold up.

I am glad to hear your problems with TH have been resolved in a positive and timely manner!

If you really want to have some fun try dealing with Hobby King!

Don
AMA 384859

I have delt with all of them but ever since I Became Elite member with hobbyking there has been this new button added to my account screen named( bug the boss ) this tool is extremely effective no make a video or send it back this is a direct link to Anthony Hand and he gets it done with a quickness I mean ya there still the wait for the new item to arrive but Im loving it as for tower I wont buy from them anymore since I purchaced a new Nexstar EP and recived a used return that the motor box was broken on and they refused to refund my shipping as for Horizon they have good coustomer service but there packaging warehouses are idiots It took me 5 yes I said 5 different Corsiar cowls befor I got one that was placed in a proper size box that didnt smoosh it and make the pant flake off.